Offshore driller Rowan Companies has sold jackup rigs Rowan Gorilla II and Rowan Gorilla III for scrap, retiring them from drilling services.

The company revealed the sales in its latest fleet status report, which also showed it has cold stacked 1983-built jack-up Rowan California after it came off a contract in the Middle East.

In the meantime, jackup rig Gilbert Rowe received a contract extension from Saudi Aramco at its current rate of US$69,000 per day until March 31 while Rowan Gorilla IV secured a contract extension in Gulf of Mexico for 10 months at a day rate of US$65,000 .